-
Prime Minister Expects Russian Citizens Will Apply For Asylum In Iceland
Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir expects that numerous Russian citizens will apply for international protection in Iceland, RÚV reports, in the wake of new orders from Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin that up to 300,000 people could be conscripted into military service, which…
-
Fourth Coronavirus Vaccination Shots Beginning This Month
Fourth coronavirus vaccination shots will be made available tomorrow, Vísir reports, at Laugardalshöll for those aged 60 and older. Influenza shots will be offered at the same time. [su_pullquote]Join our weekly newsletter to get our next quiz sent by email and you…
-
East Iceland Battered By Storms, Extensive Damage
High winds pummeled northeast Iceland over the weekend, especially on Sunday, with extensive damage done to buildings and cars. No serious injuries have been reported. [su_pullquote]Join our weekly newsletter to get our next quiz sent by email and you could win our…
-
Terrorist Suspects: Possible Far-Right Ties; Justice Minister Proposes Pre-Emptive Investigations
Yesterday’s arrest of four Icelandic men in their twenties, two of whom are still in custody, on suspicion of conspiring to commit a terrorist act has brought a swift response from the government. Amongst those responses is the re-introduction of creating “pre-emptive…
-
Suspected Terrorists Arrested, Plot Reportedly Foiled
Four Icelandic men in their twenties were arrested yesterday, RÚV reports, alleged to have engaged in the production of weapons using 3D printers, the sale of these weapons, and to have conspired to use these weapons against unnamed government offices. Two are…
-
Russian Fund Offers To Pay Icelandic Journalists For Ukraine Trip, No One Accepts
An Icelander has contacted several media outlets in the country with the offer from a Russian fund to pay for a trip to certain districts in Ukraine, RÚV reports, to cover snap referendums in those districts, which are currently fighting against Russian…
-
Terrorist Website Was Hosted In Iceland
Last June, Reykjavík District Court ruled in favour of the capital area police that a hosting company in Iceland is obliged to hand over all the information it has on a website it used to host, RÚV reports. This request came at…
-
Garbage Piling Up On Sea Floor Of Icelandic Waters, Report Says
A new report (.pdf) from the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute details that garbage on the sea floor within Icelandic territorial waters is accumulating. [su_pullquote]Join our weekly newsletter to get our next quiz sent by email and you could win our new…
-
Wants To Move Immigration Offices To Reykjanesbær
Four Independence Party MPs from the South Iceland district, which includes Reykjanesbær, have submitted a parliamentary proposal that would move the Directorate of Immigration offices from its current location in Kopavogur to Reykjanesbær. [su_pullquote]Join our weekly newsletter to get our next quiz…
-
Bilingual Children Learn Limited Icelandic
Directors of preschools where almost all the students are bilingual or multilingual noted a significant increase in vocabulary and participation after a concerted effort was made to improve their Icelandic vocabulary, RÚV reports. [su_pullquote]Sign up to our newsletter to be the first…
-
Most Icelanders Support Rent Control And Caps
A new survey conducted by Maskína for the Association of Renters in Iceland shows broad political support for rent control and rental caps, Kjarninn reports. Those who identify with the right wing, and those who are property owners, were less likely to…
-
Icelandic Classes During Working Hours Increasingly In Public Discussion
Offering free Icelandic classes during working hours is gaining significant traction in public discourse in Iceland, opening the question: how would it be offered, and when? [su_pullquote]Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know if a volcano erupts in…
-
Prime Minister: “Not At All Enough” Being Done To Help Immigrants Learn Icelandic
Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir believes not enough is being done to help foreigners in Iceland learn Icelandic, Vísir reports, and she is not alone in this opinion, which has been echoed by linguists, immigration rights advocates and others for many years now.…
-
Iceland (The Country) In Court Against Iceland (The Store) Again
Oral arguments are being heard today in the case of the Icelandic government against the British store chain Iceland, RÚV reports. The store is seeking to appeal a decision in 2019 over the trademarking of the country’s name. [su_pullquote]Best of Reykjavík 2022…
-
Business Leaders Want Government To Make It Easier For Non-EEA Citizens To Immigrate
Unemployment was at 3.2% in July, according to the Directorate of Labour, and there is a distinct labour shortage in Iceland. [su_pullquote]Best of Reykjavík 2022 Autumn edition is out! To celebrate we are adding a copy to all discount boxes ordered until…
-
National Church Membership Continues To Decline
A new report from the National Registry shows that while the National Church is still the largest registered religious organisation in the country, its membership continues to decline; by roughly 6% since 2019. [su_pullquote]Best of Reykjavík 2022 Autumn edition is out! To…
-
Great Moments In Icelandic History: President Refuses To Sign Law
The president of Iceland used to be a largely ceremonial position. All we ever expected of our heads of state was to carry themselves regally, take foreign dignitaries to Gulfoss and Þingvellir, and put their signature on the laws Parliament passed. A…
-
Justice Ministry Attempts To Pass Sweeping Immigration Bill For Fifth Time
Minister of Justice Jón Gunnarsson will try once again to pass a controversial bill that aims to make broad changes to the Law on Foreigners, RÚV reports, albeit with some revisions from the previous attempt. [su_pullquote]The Bargain Chest just opened in Grapevine…
-
Great Moments In Icelandic History: Klettagos
In December 2010, a newly minted beverage company called Gosverksmiðjan Klettur launched Klettagos, an Icelandic soft drink that looked and tasted much like internationally-available dark colas like Coke or Pepsi. They boasted being able to sell the soda for less than Coke…
-
Love Will Win (If We Want It): Fighting Transphobia In Iceland
On June 25th, a man walked into the London Pub in Oslo, Norway, pulled out a gun, and started shooting. He would repeat this at two other locations, killing two people and wounding 21 before being arrested. He was expressly motivated by…
-
Pride Officially Begins In Iceland
It’s the week before the second weekend in August, and that can mean only one thing in Iceland: the beginning of Pride Week, culminating in the freedom and solidarity march this Saturday. [su_pullquote]A goodie bag filled with perfect road trip companions now…
-
The Cat Returns
If you were worried about what became of Nóra, the cat who escaped Animal Services after being snitched out by an angry neighbour, worry no more. [su_pullquote]We are having a summer sale on all our Icelandic soaps, scrubs, face masks, perfumes and…
-
Union Head Questions Why Top Gov’t Officials Get Percentage Pay Rises Beyond General Agreement
President of the Confederation of Icelandic Labour Unions (ASÍ) Drífa Snædal considers it strange that members of Parliament, government ministers, and the President are granted annual percentage-based salaries that go well beyond the same percentage granted to the Icelandic working class, RÚV…
